Template For Personal Statement

Looking for grad school personal statement examples? Look no further! In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, we’ll discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. Then we’ll provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. After that, we’ll do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a chance for admissions committees to get to know you: your goals and passions, what you’ll bring to the program, and what you’re hoping to get out of the program. You need to sell the admissions committee on what makes you a worthwhile applicant. The personal statement is a good chance to highlight significant things about you that don’t appear elsewhere on your application.

A personal statement is slightly different from a statement of purpose (also known as a letter of intent). A statement of purpose/letter of intent tends to be more tightly focused on your academic or professional credentials and your future research and/or professional interests.

While a personal statement also addresses your academic experiences and goals, you have more leeway to be a little more, well, personal. In a personal statement, it’s often appropriate to include information on significant life experiences or challenges that aren’t necessarily directly relevant to your field of interest.

Some programs ask for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose/letter of intent. In this case, the personal statement is likely to be much more tightly focused on your life experience and personality assets while the statement of purpose will focus in much more on your academic/research experiences and goals.

However, there’s not always a hard-and-fast demarcation between a personal statement and a statement of purpose. The two statement types should address a lot of the same themes, especially as relates to your future goals and the valuable assets you bring to the program. Some programs will ask for a personal statement but the prompt will be focused primarily on your research and professional experiences and interests. Some will ask for a statement of purpose but the prompt will be more focused on your general life experiences.

When in doubt, give the program what they are asking for in the prompt and don’t get too hung up on whether they call it a personal statement or statement of purpose. You can always call the admissions office to get more clarification on what they want you to address in your admissions essay.

What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?

A great graduate school personal statement can come in many forms and styles. However, strong grad school personal statement examples all share the same following elements:

A Clear Narrative

Above all, a good personal statement communicates clear messages about what makes you a strong applicant who is likely to have success in graduate school. So to that extent, think about a couple of key points that you want to communicate about yourself and then drill down on how you can best communicate those points. (Your key points should of course be related to what you can bring to the field and to the program specifically).

You can also decide whether to address things like setbacks or gaps in your application as part of your narrative. Have a low GPA for a couple semesters due to a health issue? Been out of a job for a while taking care of a family member? If you do decide to explain an issue like this, make sure that the overall arc is more about demonstrating positive qualities like resilience and diligence than about providing excuses.

Specific Examples

A great statement of purpose uses specific examples to illustrate its key messages. This can include anecdotes that demonstrate particular traits or even references to scholars and works that have influenced your academic trajectory to show that you are familiar and insightful about the relevant literature in your field.

Just saying “I love plants,” is pretty vague. Describing how you worked in a plant lab during undergrad and then went home and carefully cultivated your own greenhouse where you cross-bred new flower colors by hand is much more specific and vivid, which makes for better evidence.

A Good Fit

A strong personal statement will describe why you are a good fit for the program, and why the program is a good fit for you. It’s important to identify specific things about the program that appeal to you, and how you’ll take advantage of those opportunities. It’s also a good idea to talk about specific professors you might be interested in working with. This shows that you are informed about and genuinely invested in the program.

Strong Writing

Even quantitative and science disciplines typically require some writing, so it’s important that your personal statement shows strong writing skills. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and that you don’t have any grammar and spelling errors. It’s helpful to get other people to read your statement and provide feedback. Plan on going through multiple drafts.

Another important thing here is to avoid cliches and gimmicks. Don’t deploy overused phrases and openings like “ever since I was a child.” Don’t structure your statement in a gimmicky way (i.e., writing a faux legal brief about yourself for a law school statement of purpose). The first will make your writing banal; the second is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

Appropriate Boundaries

While you can be more personal in a personal statement than in a statement of purpose, it’s important to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing. Don’t overshare anything too personal about relationships, bodily functions, or illegal activities. Similarly, don’t share anything that makes it seem like you may be out of control, unstable, or an otherwise risky investment. The personal statement is not a confessional booth. If you share inappropriately, you may seem like you have bad judgment, which is a huge red flag to admissions committees.

You should also be careful with how you deploy humor and jokes. Your statement doesn’t have to be totally joyless and serious, but bear in mind that the person reading the statement may not have the same sense of humor as you do. When in doubt, err towards the side of being as inoffensive as possible.

Just as being too intimate in your statement can hurt you, it’s also important not to be overly formal or staid. You should be professional, but conversational.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Our graduate school experts have been kind enough to provide some successful grad school personal statement examples. We’ll provide three examples here, along with brief analysis of what makes each one successful.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 1

PDF of Sample Personal Statement 1 – Japanese Studies

For this Japanese Studies master’s degree, the applicant had to provide a statement of purpose outlining her academic goals and experience with Japanese and a separate personal statement describing her personal relationship with Japanese Studies and what led her to pursue a master’s degree.

Here’s what’s successful about this personal statement:

An attention-grabbing beginning: The applicant begins with the statement that Japanese has never come easily to her and that it’s a brutal language to learn. Seeing as how this is an application for a Japanese Studies program, this is an intriguing beginning that makes the reader want to keep going.

A compelling narrative: From this attention-grabbing beginning, the applicant builds a well-structured and dramatic narrative tracking her engagement with the Japanese language over time. The clear turning point is her experience studying abroad, leading to a resolution in which she has clarity about her plans. Seeing as how the applicant wants to be a translator of Japanese literature, the tight narrative structure here is a great way to show her writing skills.

Specific examples that show important traits: The applicant clearly communicates both a deep passion for Japanese through examples of her continued engagement with Japanese and her determination and work ethic by highlighting the challenges she’s faced (and overcome) in her study of the language. This gives the impression that she is an engaged and dedicated student.

Overall, this is a very strong statement both in terms of style and content. It flows well, is memorable, and communicates that the applicant would make the most of the graduate school experience.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 2

This personal statement for a Music Composition master’s degree discusses the factors that motivate the applicant to pursue graduate study.

Here’s what works well in this statement:

The applicant provides two clear reasons motivating the student to pursue graduate study: her experiences with music growing up, and her family’s musical history. She then supports those two reasons with examples and analysis.

The description of her ancestors’ engagement with music is very compelling and memorable. The applicant paints her own involvement with music as almost inevitable based on her family’s long history with musical pursuits.

The applicant gives thoughtful analysis of the advantages she has been afforded that have allowed her to study music so extensively. We get the sense that she is insightful and empathetic—qualities that would add greatly to any academic community.

This is a strong, serviceable personal statement. And in truth, given that this for a masters in music composition, other elements of the application (like work samples) are probably the most important. However, here are two small changes I would make to improve it:

I would probably to split the massive second paragraph into 2-3 separate paragraphs. I might use one paragraph to orient the reader to the family’s musical history, one paragraph to discuss Giacomo and Antonio, and one paragraph to discuss how the family has influenced the applicant. As it stands, it’s a little unwieldy and the second paragraph doesn’t have a super-clear focus even though it’s all loosely related to the applicant’s family history with music.

I would also slightly shorten the anecdote about the applicant’s ancestors and expand more on how this family history has motivated the applicant’s interest in music. In what specific ways has her ancestors’ perseverance inspired her? Did she think about them during hard practice sessions? Is she interested in composing music in a style they might have played? More specific examples here would lend greater depth and clarity to the statement.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 – Public Health

This is my successful personal statement for Columbia’s Master’s program in Public Health. We’ll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I’ll highlight a couple of things that work in this statement here:

This statement is clearly organized. Almost every paragraph has a distinct focus and message, and when I move on to a new idea, I move on to a new paragraph with a logical transitions.

This statement covers a lot of ground in a pretty short space. I discuss my family history, my goals, my educational background, and my professional background. But because the paragraphs are organized and I use specific examples, it doesn’t feel too vague or scattered.

In addition to including information about my personal motivations, like my family, I also include some analysis about tailoring health interventions with my example of the Zande. This is a good way to show off what kinds of insights I might bring to the program based on my academic background.

Grad School Personal Statement Example: Deep Dive

Now let’s do a deep dive, paragraph-by-paragraph, on one of these sample graduate school personal statements. We’ll use my personal statement that I used when I applied to Columbia’s public health program.

Paragraph One: For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a Veterinarian and an Epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

This is an attention-grabbing opening anecdote that avoids most of the usual cliches about childhood dreams and proclivities. This story also subtly shows that I have a sense of public health history, given the significance of the AIDs crisis for public health as a field.

It’s good that I connect this family history to my own interests. However, if I were to revise this paragraph again, I might cut down on some of the detail because when it comes down to it, this story isn’t really about me. It’s important that even (sparingly used) anecdotes about other people ultimately reveal something about you in a personal statement.

Paragraph Two: Recent years have cemented that interest. In January 2012, my parents adopted my little brother Fred from China. Doctors in America subsequently diagnosed Fred with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). My parents were told that if Fred’s condition had been discovered in China, the (very poor) orphanage in which he spent the first 8+ years of his life would have recognized his DMD as a death sentence and denied him sustenance to hasten his demise.

Here’s another compelling anecdote to help explain my interest in public health. This is an appropriately personal detail for a personal statement—it’s a serious thing about my immediate family, but it doesn’t disclose anything that the admissions committee might find concerning or inappropriate.

If I were to take another pass through this paragraph, the main thing I would change is the last phrase. “Denied him sustenance to hasten his demise” is a little flowery. “Denied him food to hasten his death” is actually more powerful because it’s clearer and more direct.

Paragraph Three: It is not right that some people have access to the best doctors and treatment while others have no medical care. I want to pursue an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia because studying social factors in health, with a particular focus on socio-health inequities, will prepare me to address these inequities. The interdisciplinary approach of the program appeals to me greatly as I believe interdisciplinary approaches are the most effective way to develop meaningful solutions to complex problems.

In this paragraph I make a neat and clear transition from discussing what sparked my interest in public health and health equity to what I am interested in about Columbia specifically: the interdisciplinary focus of the program, and how that focus will prepare me to solve complex health problems. This paragraph also serves as a good pivot point to start discussing my academic and professional background.

Paragraph Four: My undergraduate education has prepared me well for my chosen career. Understanding the underlying structure of a group’s culture is essential to successfully communicating with the group. In studying folklore and mythology, I’ve learned how to parse the unspoken structures of folk groups, and how those structures can be used to build bridges of understanding. For example, in a culture where most illnesses are believed to be caused by witchcraft, as is the case for the Zande people of central Africa, any successful health intervention or education program would of necessity take into account their very real belief in witchcraft.

In this paragraph, I link my undergraduate education and the skills I learned there to public health. The (very brief) analysis of tailoring health interventions to the Zande is a good way to show insight and show off the competencies I would bring to the program.

Paragraph Five: I now work in the healthcare industry for one of the largest providers of health benefits in the world. In addition to reigniting my passion for data and quantitative analytics, working for this company has immersed me in the business side of healthcare, a critical component of public health.

This brief paragraph highlights my relevant work experience in the healthcare industry. It also allows me to mention my work with data and quantitative analytics, which isn’t necessarily obvious from my academic background, which was primarily based in the social sciences.

Paragraph Six: I intend to pursue a PhD in order to become an expert in how social factors affect health, particularly as related to gender and sexuality. I intend to pursue a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Reproduction. Working together with other experts to create effective interventions across cultures and societies, I want to help transform health landscapes both in America and abroad.

This final paragraph is about my future plans and intentions. Unfortunately, it’s a little disjointed, primarily because I discuss goals of pursuing a PhD before I talk about what certificate I want to pursue within the MPH program! Switching those two sentences and discussing my certificate goals within the MPH and then mentioning my PhD plans would make a lot more sense.

I also start two sentences in a row with “I intend,” which is repetitive.

The final sentence is a little bit generic; I might tailor it to specifically discuss a gender and sexual health issue, since that is the primary area of interest I’ve identified.

This was a successful personal statement; I got into (and attended!) the program. It has strong examples, clear organization, and outlines what interests me about the program (its interdisciplinary focus) and what competencies I would bring (a background in cultural analysis and experience with the business side of healthcare). However, a few slight tweaks would elevate this statement to the next level.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples You Can Find Online

So you need more samples for your personal statement for graduate school? Examples are everywhere on the internet, but they aren’t all of equal quality.

Most of examples are posted as part of writing guides published online by educational institutions. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones here if you are looking for more personal statement examples for graduate school.

Penn State Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School

This selection of ten short personal statements for graduate school and fellowship programs offers an interesting mix of approaches. Some focus more on personal adversity while others focus more closely on professional work within the field.

The writing in some of these statements is a little dry, and most deploy at least a few cliches. However, these are generally strong, serviceable statements that communicate clearly why the student is interested in the field, their skills and competencies, and what about the specific program appeals to them.

Cal State Sample Graduate School Personal Statements

These are good examples of personal statements for graduate school where students deploy lots of very vivid imagery and illustrative anecdotes of life experiences. There are also helpful comments about what works in each of these essays.

However, all of these statements are definitely pushing the boundaries of acceptable length, as all are above 1000 and one is almost 1500 words! Many programs limit you to 500 words; if you don’t have a limit, you should try to keep it to two single-spaced pages at most (which is about 1000 words).

University of Chicago Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

These examples of successful essays to the University of Chicago law school cover a wide range of life experiences and topics. The writing in all is very vivid, and all communicate clear messages about the students’ strengths and competencies.

Note, however, that these are all essays that specifically worked for University of Chicago law school. That does not mean that they would work everywhere. In fact, one major thing to note is that many of these responses, while well-written and vivid, barely address the students’ interest in law school at all! This is something that might not work well for most graduate programs.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 10

This successful essay for law school from a Wheaton College undergraduate does a great job tracking the student’s interest in the law in a compelling and personal way. Wheaton offers other graduate school personal statement examples, but this one offers the most persuasive case for the students’ competencies. The student accomplishes this by using clear, well-elaborated examples, showing strong and vivid writing, and highlighting positive qualities like an interest in justice and empathy without seeming grandiose or out of touch.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 1

Based on the background information provided at the bottom of the essay, this essay was apparently successful for this applicant. However, I’ve actually included this essay because it demonstrates an extremely risky approach. While this personal statement is strikingly written and the story is very memorable, it could definitely communicate the wrong message to some admissions committees. The student’s decision not to report the drill sergeant may read incredibly poorly to some admissions committees. They may wonder if the student’s failure to report the sergeant’s violence will ultimately expose more soldiers-in-training to the same kinds of abuses. This incident perhaps reads especially poorly in light of the fact that the military has such a notable problem with violence against women being covered up and otherwise mishandled

It’s actually hard to get a complete picture of the student’s true motivations from this essay, and what we have might raise real questions about the student’s character to some admissions committees. This student took a risk and it paid off, but it could have just as easily backfired spectacularly.

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

In this guide, we discussed why you need a personal statement and how it differs from a statement of purpose. (It’s more personal!)

We also discussed what you’ll find in a strong sample personal statement for graduate school:

A clear narrative about the applicant and why they are qualified for graduate study.

Specific examples to support that narrative.

Compelling reasons why the applicant and the program are a good fit for each other.

Then, we provided three strong graduate school personal statement examples for different fields, along with analysis. We did a deep-dive on the third statement.

Finally, we provided a list of other sample grad school personal statements online.

What’s Next?

Want more advice on writing a personal statement? See our guide.

Writing a graduate school statement of purpose? See our statement of purpose samples and a nine-step process for writing the best statement of purpose possible.

If you’re writing a graduate school CV or resume, see our how-to guide to writing a CV, a how-to guide to writing a resume, our list of sample resumes and CVs, resume and CV templates, and a special guide for writing resume objectives.

Need stellar graduate school recommendation letters? See our guide.

See our 29 tips for successfully applying to graduate school.

Related

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

We've written a eBook about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your GRE score. Download it for free now:

FREE GRE eBook: 5 Tips for 7+ Points

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

A personal statement is a well laid out extension essay about you during an application. It can be used in CV’s or when applying for University entry or even in workplaces. The primary objective of the statement of purpose is selling you to the reader for the purpose of winning whatever your application talks about. The aim of writing a personal statement is to differentiate you from other people in a similar application category leaving the reader with a great impression increasing your chances of getting what you want. It is a platform where you can flaunt your impeccable achievements, strengths or even share your aspirations in cases of careers without being cliché or filling clutter.

It is the same case with students who apply for vacancies in different courses. Students can perfectly express their thoughts, show their skills and experiences and stand out when the admissions tutors go through their personal statements. Whatever is written there determines who got the chance and ho misses. However, there are certain guidelines that you need to follow to come up with a perfect personal statement.

10 things you must have in your Personal Statement:

Give reasons for wanting to take a particular course

You are expected to be straightforward and specific from the word go. You should write about what motivates you to take the chosen course at the university level. Talk about the growth of your interest in that particular field, the inspiration you draw from your current studies and what you doing or have done to pursue it. It is vital to show enthusiasm and be reasonable not to deviate from the main subject.

Give valid reason showing the course is right for you

Here, you are required to provide evidence that illustrates that you are fit for the course. Also, it’s time to show your prowess in research by making the admission tutor understand that other than meeting the selection criteria, you have done a prior research of the course and understands the involvements of the course. It is similar when it comes to a profession. You apply the same tactics and understand what is required and what the profession entails.

Show your achievements outside the class

Explaining how far you have gone to pursue interests in your chosen course beyond your syllabus increases your award chances. It could be further readings you have taken on the subject. Writing a list won’t give you extra points and therefore giving reflective opinions and critical views really count. Your source of information could be websites, journals, documentaries, films, books, periodicals, newspapers, radio programmes, lectures, and blogs among other channels. It is necessary to avoid the obvious kind of reading because everyone else will have it mentioned.

Show relevance to your course

Here, you have to reflect on past experiences. You have to explain what you have gained from m them and how helpful they have been in nurturing your interest in the given subject. Whatever the experiences, they don’t have to be overly fancy. They could be volunteering activities, theatre or gallery visits, math’s challenge, work experience, outreach programmes, summer schools, travel, and university taster sessions, local courts visits, archaeological digs or museums.

Show relevance to your chosen profession

Reflecting on relevant observations and experiences is necessary for various professional courses where in some cases you are as well expected to apply for a career course. A mere description is not enough; therefore, you have to reflect on your experiences in depth. Explain the relevant skills the [profession requires and talk about how you have come to learn about them. Also, explain how you have developed the said skills.

Talk about the different environments, what spotted and the experiences in regards to the profession. You can also give an observation of carious qualities exhibited by profession staff and how helpful they were in fulfilling effective engagements with clients, service-users or their patients.

Demonstrate transferable skills

The admissions tutor will be glad to hear about your transferable skills. Such skills could be:

Impeccable organizational skills

Good leadership skills

Good listening and communication skills

Ability to work independently

Teamwork

Good time management skills

Problem-solving skills

Expound on your relevant skills

You just don’t make a list of every skill you think you have without thinking about its relevance. You have to think about the skills that readily relate best to the chosen course or profession. Demonstrating how you have developed them, used and you are continuing to strengthen them will be a plus for you. Specific examples are relevant and that’s what most admission tutors will want to hear. Such are:

The role you played in projects and assignments and the positive outcome drawn from them.

learning Experiences derived from drama, music or sports, and how it was working as a team

Talk about your biggest challenges and how you overcame them

Show the skills you have demonstrated when doing a part-time job or volunteer activities. You can talk about your observations and the extra skills gained.

Show your critical thinking skills

University gives way to free and independent thinking and therefore, showing you are an independent and a critical thinker is a big bonus for you. You can talk about how your various A-level subjects have made you think critically. It is not only limited to that, it can be additional subjects you are taking such as EPQ, a place, an assignment and anything else that has helped you develop the kind of thinking you got. If you are taking extra subjects like extended project qualification (EPQ), it is important to state that because University takes such kind of study.

Your long-term plans

It is critical to talk about your long-term goals and objectives. You can lay them down in an interesting way which will require you to that a specific path. Whichever way you choose, make sure you show some aspects of imagination and individuality. Find a way to make you stand out from the crowd. Just mentioning what career expert you want to become plainly won’t add you any point.

If you are not sure, don’t write any irrelevant thing that might cost you a chance. You can talk about your expectations in the university and what you desire to gain from the varsity life.

When applying for a deferred entry, it is vital to state the period you intend to take out. Most courses appreciate when a student takes a gap year, however, they will want to know about your plans during the gap year.

Positivity

Getting started on your personal statement can be a hassle. It should not get you in a panic mode or anxiety. Begin writing about your strength, be enthusiastic about the course and have a positive vibe about yourself.

Personal Statement Examples and Personal Statement Templates

As mentioned earlier, Personal statements give you a limelight to shine, show your achievements, strength and share your profession aspirations with a hiring-board or manager. Having boring business speak or filling the whole personal essay with clutter will be termed as a common type of personal statement and end up sounding like everybody else out there.

It is necessary to take some time and research on the dos and don’ts and create a perfect personal statement. They can be written in different scenarios. Listed are examples of personal statements from different angles. They can be helpful in assisting you to come up with an outstanding personal statement.

Career Break Personal Statement

People have different reasons as to why they would want to take a career break. It can be due to a long-term illness, traveling or parental leave. One can find it a hassle to put down such in a CV. However, the worst mistake that you can make is to leave it out in your CV. Failure to address such issues on a CV is a mistake that can cost you.

When coming up with a personal statement, you can answer the following questions:

Who you are

Why you have chosen that career

Skills and important things you can bring to the company

A career break can be mentioned in this section, however, taking a lot of space is not recommended. Your cover letter is the place to give detailed information about it. You can use your personal statement to explain and focus on your career’s success before taking your break.

Career Break Personal Statement Example:

“I am an experienced (put your role) and currently seeking a chance of getting back to my career after taking the last (Insert a number of years/ duration) as a dedication to raise my family. Having worked for (X) years as an (insert your previous role) helped me gained great knowledge, experience, and skills valuable in this industry. I have further taken and completed (state a course or work experience) to refresh my skills and therefore am fully committed to continuing with my professional career full time.”

Personal Statement Example

A personal statement is important when you have decided to make changes in your career path. It gives you a chance to market your transferable skills that are relevant to your new role or in the industry. It is vital to make sure talk about your primary skills, give reasons for the career change and show enthusiasm to the new career.

Personal Statement template for Job:

“Am an enthusiastic professional person who has chosen to take a new challenging career after working for (X) years as an (insert profession/role) I am a hard worker and achieves to give the best in the designated areas. I am open to learning new skills and eager to grasp positive things and advance in my profession. I have taken a course (talk about work experience or a course) and successfully completed as a preparation for my career change. I am keen and eager to build on skills, knowledge, and experience in this sector. Being a self –driven individual, I will follow my aspirations of becoming (insert new job/career) within this n industry.”

School Leaver Personal Statement Example

It is critical to note that personal statements are tailored according to the given situations. Using 50-150 words, you need to explain to the hiring manager the reason for wanting this role, why you are interested in this industry, your career aspirations and what skills you possess to perform the role diligently and effectively.

As a school leaver, coming up with a personal statement might be a hard task. You may be stuck at the previous employment/ work experience and achievements part. Instead of taking the space and emphasizing and relating a job you did after school to the new career, it is recommended that you pay more attention to your academic achievements and skills gained throughout your school and education life.School Leaver Personal Statement Template

“I am an enthusiastic school leaver who has achieved five GCSEs and is seeking for an apprenticeship in the (mention career/job) field. I possess excellent verbal and goof writing skills and an interest in (field) which has geared my interests in the field further. (You can mention and explain about the achievements you have had in your various subjects or projects that are relevant to your desired industry or career.)”

A graduate personal statement and a school leaver personal statement are similar in that they tend to focus more on the education part and not the employment history. However, a graduate personal statement should lay more emphasis on skills gained at the university level as well as your higher education.

As a graduate, you have to make sure that your personal statement catches the attention of recruiter quickly through an easy identification of your transferable skills as well as your education.

“I am a recent graduate from (X) university having attained a 2:1 honors degree in (Mention your course) I have done my internships in( mention organizations) that are leading organizations in the industry. During this time, I gained knowledge and experience on the industry as well transferable skills that are relevant in this sector. My career objective is to pursue a role that allows me to gain, more skills and knowledge as well as become more responsible in an innovative an market leading company. “